Pall Mall and the Come Down

Coming down is hard. This last week has mostly sucked. Just like every one else in the world I assume, I am used to coming down after a holiday for a few days, but this one seemed to drag a little longer and was being circumnavigated by bit of a sense of dread. However this day (Tuesday one week later) it seems to be over and thank Khrist for that.

I think I can narrow down the causes of the dreadness:
I hadn't had a cigarette since 31 December 2005 (except for the bum-puffed Polish Menthol smoke at my sisters wedding on Hamilton Island In February)However I kinda planned to perhaps smoke for the duration of the holiday, just to unwind that little bit further. Of course smokes are $11.00 a pack in Singapore so that plan was quickly delayed until Phuket, where we experienced good cheapness 45 Thai Baht a pack ($1.64AUD - I hope those taxes are going back into the health system...) Anyway the point is that cost was no longer an issue, instead trying to determine "Light" Cigarettes was. Cigarettes are not on display in Phuket and instead of holding up the line at the 7 Eleven too long, I tried to communicate "light" to the attendant by using all sorts of English words, erratic hand gestures and Egyptian Hyroglyphics. 'cousrse it didnt work - Stupid bloody tourist. SEGUE I made a fuss on our last night in Oz at Pirates Bar about how we should make an effort at learning local language at least a little, to not perpetuate that arrogant bloody tourist stereotype expecting everyone to speak English. The lonely planet phrasebook was purchased. END SEGUE So, smoking was resumed that day with "L&M" brand Menthols at about 22mg I think. Cough, splutter and instant cancer. It felt good to smoke again and nothing is better than a Singha with smoking support next to the pool. I continued smoking through out the Holiday, having my final cigarette ("borrowed") from Wayne at the Singapore airport after smoking a full $11.00 pack of Marlboro lights in the "Final Afternoon Tiger Session" in Singapore on that final day. Cough bloody splutter and runny nose on the plane. So this is one cause of my loss of holiday sensation being magnified by withdrawal of cigarettes, even though it was only one week I am a wuss these days to chemical influence.



No I know that beer is always sooo much drinkable while on Holiday, but it is likely that this is the best beer in the world. And there is no way in hell taht I will blame anything on this sweet precious. [SEE POST ON SINGHA]


The other cause of the personal feeling of dread after the holiday is likely the return to reality factor. The issues being the 10 days off study, 10 days of my work inbox filling up with shit I have to do upon return, 10 days of dust piling up in my living space. But I am not sure that this is any aprticular cause of post holiday dread. I have googled post vacation withdrawal and depressions etc etc with not much luck. So we need some post-grad Psychology student to assess these symptoms somewhere around the world. Maybe we can eventually write in 10 days of leave for "Post Holiday Un Kempt Exit Depression" (P.H.U.K.E.D) or "Post Holiday Un Kempt Exit Trauma" (P.H.U.K.E.T) into the EBA... oh shit whoops - IR reforms. I forgot.

What we may be able to put this trauma down to is perhaps the "end of freedom". By no means is my life a jail at the moment and to tell you the truth I am quite happy with the people in my life and the way it points towards the future. But the sense of freedom to wake up every day and do anything at all, including sitting on arse and doing nothing in a tropical paradise with all the creature comforts of beer and food and knowing you have all the funds and people to do it with, is a great way to live. It is clear the the highs of riding a motorbike through Patong traffic alone, with nary the same amount of plastic involved in the manufacture of a pen as protection, the going on a drunken rampage in a foreign town on the piss with a bunch of Italians at a football game at 4:00am and the fantastic food, must create the equal lows in return. This whole thing is about the withdrawal of Freedom!

But importantly I am over it now and happy again and ready to start saving for the next holiday!